


What We Both Found

by Animequeen09



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alchemy, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Human Transmutation, Original Character(s), Pain, Protective Edward Elric, kana sai
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,829
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28062384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Animequeen09/pseuds/Animequeen09
Summary: Edward Elric had just went for a walk to clear his head, he hadn't expected to find a girl in the alleyway... let alone a girl covered in her own blood.What happened to her? Why was Ed so determined to protect her? Why was she so drawn to protecting Ed... protecting him from what?Who was she?And why did he care so damn much.If you want to know more, you better start reading. (takes place after the Fifth Laboratory explosion)
Relationships: Edward Elric/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	1. The Alleyway

The first thing Ed remembers is the blood. There was so much blood. The crimson liquid spilled out into the cobble streets of Central. It glistened slightly, in the light of the full moon, turning the road into a haunting canvas. And yet, no one had noticed? No, they noticed, he was sure of it. They just had turned a blind eye, to the crumbled figure in the alleyway. 

Ed had been trying to clear his head. The Stone, his brother, the heaviness of guilt that he carried around, every day, Ed just needed space. He knew he should have stayed in the hospital, with Winry and Al, but he had snuck out. He was sure they’d be worrying by now, maybe even searching. He longed for air, for space, he needed a moment… to breathe. 

He almost didn’t see it though. He was so lost in thought, in his own selfish turmoil that he almost walked by. However, a heart wrenching whisper had brought his chaotic mess of a brain to a screeching halt. 

“Help me, please sir.”

His head slowly turned, and recognition hit him faster than ever before. Crumpled on the ground, curled into a ball, one hand gripping a stub where an arm should be, was a girl. Her blonde hair was soaked, bathing in a pool of her own blood. Her green eyes slowly leaked tears, fatigue apparent in the way her body shook. 

Ed had never moved so fast. He skidded to his knees, unaware of what to do. Winry was the one who understood medicine, Al was the calm one, Ed… Ed was the fighter, the angry one… he didn’t know how to be gentle, to be comforting. 

He didn’t know how to save a life. He had learned that long ago. 

His hands hovered over her; he wasn’t even sure she had recognized that he was at her side. Noticing the tremor of her body, he touched the back of his hand to her face. He hissed at her feverish skin, but covered her in his red cloak, nonetheless. Glancing at her stump, he was overcome with memories and trauma of his past. His brain flashed through the memories of that horrid night. It was as if they were suffocating him. Al disappearing, his leg bleeding, the armor falling…. Then his own arm…And then he realized….

He wasn’t a healer. 

But he had been here before. 

Ripping off his shirt, Ed wrapped her stump tightly, hoping to slow the blood flow. She screeched out as he did it and Ed was comforted at the way she fought the pain. It was clear she still had life in her. Ed was determined to keep her this way. 

“I’m sorry, I know this hurts, but please, hold on. I’m going to help you.” Was he saying it to her or himself? He could never say for sure. Hoisting the girl onto his back, he began to sprint back to the hospital, ignoring the stinging pain of his own wounds as they began to pull against the stitches. 

“I… I… I… was just… doing… what I… was told…” The girl’s breath was labored and weak as she spoke into Ed’s ear. He wasn’t sure what she meant, but he was too focused on the approaching hospital and begging his legs to move faster. If he could use both hands, he would use alchemy to speed up the process. But the way the girl was barely holding on to his neck, it took everything he had to keep her from slipping. As the hospital gates loomed towards him, he increased his speed, the girl muttering nonsense away in his ear. 

“Help… didn’t know… help… not bad… good… heal… said I help… save…”

He felt her slip out of consciousness as her weight went heavy on his back. He brought them both to the ground and, without another thought, clapped his hands together. Time was running out. The ground beneath him bent to his will, shooting them both to the level of the window of his own hospital room. He kept one hand on her back the entire time, comforted slightly by the rise and fall against his hand. 

He burst through the window, glass shattering around him. He shielded her with his own body, not even noticing the stinging slits as glass cut his exposed body. Raising his head, he saw the room was full of shocked faces, more than when he had left.

“Brother!” Alphonse yelled out as Winry clapped a hand over her mouth. Armstrong and Hughes just looked on in shock.

Surprisingly, Mustang was the first to act, approaching Ed and the mess of red fabric quickly. He didn’t even take in the scene, all focus brought to Ed.

“Fullmetal? What happened? Are you alright?” 

Ed was panting, shaking his head as he regained his composure. Glancing down at himself, he realized he was covered in the girl’s blood.

“It’s not me! It’s her, the girl… she’s bleeding out!” Pulling back his cloak, he revealed the crumpled figure, blood fully soaked through the shirt he had tied her stub with. Whipping his head back around, he grabbed the collar of Mustang’s uniform. “Get her help… now!” 

A flash of disbelief flashed through Mustang’s dark eyes. Ed was known to push boundaries, but laying his hand on a commanding officer? But when he looked into Ed’s own golden eyes, there was no malice. No, they screamed in pain, in fear… they were begging for help.  
Mustang placed his hand over the shaking one of Ed. With a slight nod to him, he turned towards his officers.

“Armstrong, Hughes, find all the help you can!”

The room quickly became alive. Doctor’s flooded the room at the sound of Mustang’s orders. A gurney was brought in, people were ushered out, yet Ed remained at her side. Her hand was cold in his, so he was surprised when her eyes fluttered open. 

In that same moment, the medical team had begun to pull her away. She screamed and gripped Ed’s hand. 

“Don’t… let them… take me! Please! Not… again! Help me! I won’t… do it…. Don’t… make me… please!” 

Her ear-piercing screams tore through his own heart. Her grip was weak, he could have easily slipped away, leaving her to the doctors, knowing they would save her life. But he didn’t.

Instead, he lost himself. He gripped her hand as she thrashed against the doctors. Nurses came to pull him away and he fought against them. 

“You’re scaring her!” He yelled out, gaining the attention of his brother, who was just out the door. He hurried in the room, appearing ginormous in his armor. Usually, the sight of him would immediately calm his older brother, but Ed was too far gone. Al restrained Ed as the team took the girl away. “Let me go! She’s all alone!” 

“Brother, they’re trying to save her life.” Ed knew Al was right, yet all sanity had left him. He struggled against his brother, to no avail. He didn’t even notice when Winry had approached, a syringe in hand, and inserted it into his arm. He felt himself slip into sleep as he listened to the voices of those he loved most. 

“Where did he find her?” Winry was saying as Al laid his tired body into the uncomfortably firm hospital bed. 

“We will have to ask him when he wakes up. What do you think happened to her? Who do you think she is?” 

Their questions continued, all going unanswered, swallowed up into nothingness. Ed didn’t know the answers himself. As he slipped into a drug induced sleep, he heard only the sound of her screams.


	2. The Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed wakes up in the hospital and has only one thing on his mind. Who was the girl that he had saved? Is she alive? 
> 
> How had she lost her arm?
> 
> And why was she so pissed at him?

Ed blinked his eyes open slowly, squinting at the light streaming in through his window. He could see the figure of his brother’s armor out in the corner, Winry next to him. There was another presence in the room, he could sense it, but could not see who it was. His thoughts were fuzzy and jumbled, he was almost unsure what had happened. 

And then it all hit him at once, a motion picture playing at hyper speed through his mind. The girl, the blood, her screams…

He sat bolt upright, ignoring the sting of his wounds. He could care less about himself; he could still feel the coldness of her hand in his, the light extinguishing in her eyes… her screams. 

Al and Winry had come to his side, they were speaking, but his mind was going into tunnel vision yet again. He could not comprehend a word they were saying. It was only when a firm smack came across his face that his mind stopped spinning. 

Mustang didn’t look at him, merely placed his glove back on his hand and cleared his throat. Winry and Al appeared to be shocked. Internally, Ed was grateful for the slap, the thing that had brought him to his senses. However, he turned on him anyways. 

“The hell was that Colonel!” He spat out, rubbing his sore cheek. Al put his hands up, trying to calm his brother, while Winry laughed in relief. Ed could tell she was happy to have the normal Ed back.   
“Fullmetal, you’re no use to that girl when you’re this emotional. Get ahold of yourself.” 

Ed’s face became solemn. He took note of the serious tone that fell upon the room. He prepared himself for the words that were sure to come next. 

“She’s alive.”

“What!?” Ed’s head whipped around to each face in the room, not sure who’s cruel trick this was. He was sure they were going to tell him that she had succumbed to her injuries. Alive? Ed couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. Damn was that girl tough. 

“The girl you brought to us is currently recovering from surgery in the room adjoined to this one.” Mustang gestured towards the door across from Ed’s bed. Ed still could barely comprehend what was being told to him. “We need to ask you some questions though, Fullmetal.” Ed’s face fell into confusion, what questions?

“Brother, where did you find her? Was she being attacked?” Al had stepped forward, words as gentle as always. The concern was ever present in his voice, concern for his brother and what he may had seen. Ed shook his head.

“I found her in an alleyway, she was laying in her own blood,” he looked back at the colonel, “in between 8th and west, by the old butchers place.” Mustang nodded, jotting down the information onto a paper pad he had pulled from his jacket. “She called out for help. Her arm was gone, and she could barely speak coherently. I tied her arm the best I could and ran back here.” 

“Did she tell you anything? Her name? What had happened to her?” Mustang’s voice was cold and businesslike, as always. Yet, Ed sensed urgency in his tone. Did they know something he didn’t?

“She never said a name. She kept talking about doing what she was told, about helping and being good, that she didn’t know something was bad.” Ed locked eyes with Mustang, sure that he was hiding something from him. Whether it was a hunch or a piece of evidence that Ed had missed, Ed was not sure. “That’s all I know.” Mustang nodded, shutting the notebook and placing it in his pocket. 

“I’ll be going to investigate. You all are to remain here.” Ed opened his mouth to argue but Mustang raised a hand. “There is no time for arguments. I’m keeping this under wraps right now, the less attention the better. I will report back with whatever I find. Until then,” he nodded towards the group and turned on his heel. 

As the door shut behind him, Ed removed his blanket and got out of the bed, as Al and Winry protested. He ignored them, slipping on his neatly folded clothes, now free of blood. Slipping on his white gloves, he made his way to the adjoining door. He breathed deeply for a second, regaining his composure as his inner emotions tried to take control. He pulled open the door and walked inside. 

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but it wasn’t what he found. Her blonde hair was braided back, similar to his, and she lay back against the pillow. The stub of her arm was wrapped tightly in gauze. Ed realized, as he took her in, that she couldn’t have been any younger than he was. In his arms, she had seemed small and naïve, a lost little girl in trouble. Looking at her now, he saw someone so similar to himself it scared him. He couldn’t ignore her beauty, even with scars littering her. As he gazed upon her face, it was her eyes that made Ed stop in his tracks. 

The glazed jade green pools were a stark contrast to the fiery gems he had seen the night before. They gazed out the window, looking at nothing in particular, lost in thought. Ed wasn’t sure what to say or do to alert her of his arrival. However, Al came to his rescue. 

“Excuse me, miss?” Al asked to the room, causing the girl to shift slightly towards them. Ed waited for her to say something as she took the three figures in. For a moment, he swore he saw tears come to her eyes, but she turned her head back to the window before he could confirm it. Al placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “We should come back later, brother.” Ed opened his mouth to argue when the girl spoke, quietly. 

“You should have left me there to die.”

To say Ed was shocked would be an understatement. Even Al sputtered at the words that left the girl’s mouth as casual and simple as if discussing the weather. Ed wasn’t sure how to respond, but words fell out of him anyways. 

“You were the one who called out to me for help!” She spun on him, tears clearly present in her eyes, but she was refusing to let them fall. 

“Since when does help and mercy mean saving a life!? A life that doesn’t deserve to be saved! A life that is tainted and meaningless now.” Her hand made its way to where her arm should be, and she hissed out in pain. Ed remembered that pain. Winry had called it “phantom limb pain”, the brain not understanding where the missing limbs nerves had gone. It is typically not painful, but Ed’s had been horrific. If he had an arm at the time, he would have begged for them to remove it. Ed swallowed his pride and anger at the girl’s words and walked up to her bedside, Al and Winry remaining in the doorway. 

“What’s your name?” The softness in Ed’s voice surprised even him. The girl herself turned to him slowly, caution riddling her entire frame. She was expecting harshness and anger from him. But Ed knew better, again, he had been there. Whatever guilt and pain she was harboring, she was seeking punishment for her unknown sins. Ed wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. Her voice was quiet and broken. 

“Kana.”

Ed smiled slightly, the name fitting the girl in front of him so well he felt he had known all along that her name had been this.

“I’m Edward Elric. My brother is Alphonse, and the gearhead is Winry.” She watched him warily as he reached out to where her left arm was supposed to be. His white glove traced where the arm would be, something he used to do to his own when he first lost it. He made his way up to her shoulder. 

“I know it hurts. It feels like the end, like a never-ending punishment that you wish would just let you breathe.” His white gloved hand rubbed her shoulder softly, she didn’t even wince away from his touch. He remembered light pressure relieving the aches of his brain trying to comprehend where his limbs had gone. His hand ghosted her chin, causing her to follow it back to him. She locked onto his eyes, gold to green. Ed’s tone became serious. 

“But I will never regret saving your life.”

Kana held his gaze, but he did not fail to notice the flash of emotion that went across her face. He couldn’t truly define it. It wasn’t positive or negative, an emotion lacking a name that Ed somehow had felt time and time again. 

It was the feeling that occurred when someone vanquished every negative thought from your decaying mind. Al, Winry, Granny, Mustang, Riza, Hughes… they all had done this to him, time and time again. And now, he was passing it along, to the broken girl in front of him. 

She snapped her gaze away from him, back to staring out the window. He heard the muttering under her breath, even though he was confident she never wanted him to hear it. 

“And what the hell would you know about any of this?” 

Ed couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled off one of his gloves. He saw her eyes flicker over the metal hand, realization settling in, but quickly masking it. He rolled up his pant leg, for effect, revealing the complicated prosthetic. She finally faced him, head on, and took in his frame. 

“Do you understand Kana? I know because I was you. And I could have given up and fell into a dark place, but I didn’t.” He righted his clothes, returning the white glove to his hand. “So, take this chance, and don’t waste it with moping.” She bowed her head, as if in shame, and Ed snapped his fingers, gaining her attention again. “What do you say, Kana?”

The continued use of her name appeared to be breaking her wall. She was considering everything that Ed had said, he could see it behind her eyes. Even in this small point of time, her eyes had livened up slightly, the deadness retreating back. As she pondered, Ed held his breath, hoping his new role of mentor and encourager, would end on a positive note.

Behind him, Winry cleared her throat and took a step forward. Ed was a bit confused and wanted to tell her off. He was making progress and frankly this didn’t concern her. 

“Miss, I’m Ed’s automail mechanic. I know this is very sudden, but I think you’d be a good candidate for an automail prosthesis.” Kana’s eyes took Winry up and down, scrutinizing everything she could find. Winry continued anyways. “I would have to transport you to my workshop. It wouldn’t be easy, it would be painful and a long recovery, but you would be able to have full use of both arms.” 

The last phrase caused Kana’s eyes to widen slightly. She looked from Ed to Winry, disbelief now written across her face. 

“You mean… I could continue alchemy?”

The room fell eerily silent. Alphonse took the chance to speak, recovering from the out of left field comment faster than the rest. 

“Miss Kana, do you mean to say that you’re an alchemist?” 

She glanced at him, clearly confused as to why a large suit of armor, with a boyish voice, was formally addressing her. She nodded slowly. 

“I’d show you, but,” she gestured lazily towards her stub. She bowed her head, talking to herself more than the room. “If I could get the arm, then I’d be able to…” Suddenly aware of the others in the room again, she stopped her thought. She glanced back at Winry. “I don’t have any money to pay you for this. You are kind to offer though.” She bowed her head.

“I’ll cover your expenses.”

The entire room snapped to Ed. He wasn’t sure what had caused him to say it. Yes, he received pay from his position as a State Alchemist, as well as a research fund for his quest to regain his and his brother’s bodies, but they were by no means rich. Automail was extremely expensive and, given how often Ed broke his along with typical maintenance repairs, they spent enough on it as is. Yet, as he looked at the girl in front of him, the complete stranger, the one he had found in the alleyway, covered in her own blood….

He saw himself. 

Pulling him from his thoughts, Al took a step forward, armor creaking out into the silent room. He placed his hand onto his brother’s shoulder. 

“When my brother makes up his mind, there’s no changing it. I suggest you accept so we can get to planning out the details.” 

The three of them looked at her expectantly. She was clearly overwhelmed with the mass amount of information that had been presented in a mere few minutes. Kana searched each of their faces, looking for what, Ed wasn’t entirely search. A hidden agenda perhaps? Ed hoped that was all it was because she would never find evidence of anything like it. 

Her gaze fell to her lap, fingers twiddling with the blanket that covered her bruised body. Taking a deep breath, she gave her answer, so quiet that they had to strain to hear her. 

“Alright, I accept.”

The door banged open, before anyone could rejoice. The occupants faced the disruption and Ed was confused to see Colonel Mustang, back already from his investigation. Hughes stood behind him, a dark look across his usual carefree face. 

Mustang didn’t acknowledge any of them, he pushed through and went straight for Kana. Ed let out a yell when Mustang’s hand grabbed the front of her hospital gown and pulled her up to his level. She let out a cry of pain, but held his gaze anyways, her own had hardened again. Ed made a move towards the pair, to break them apart.

“Fullmetal, stand down.”

He had never heard Mustang speak with such venom. Ed had pissed him off often, yet his tone was always annoyed, even concerned at times. 

Actually, the only time Ed had heard Mustang speak with such disdain and wrath was when he was questioning Ed about the remnants of the being in the basement.

The shock of his tone forced Ed to obey for the time being.

“How did you lose your arm?” Mustang’s voice was scarily calm and level. He had not released the girl from his grip, but her eyes had fallen to the ground at his question. When he noticed, he threw her back onto the bed. She whimpered in pain as her shoulder slammed into the rail of the bed. He gripped the other side of the bed, eyes boring into hers. “Explain to me what I just found in that damn alleyway? What the hell were you doing?” 

It was quiet for just a moment, but it felt like eternity. Ed wanted to ask what was going on, Al had even stepped up closer, ready to put himself between the girl and the Colonel. But just as it seemed the overwhelming tension was about to burst, Kana spoke.

“They told me… I could save a life…”

Now, in that instance, no one but Mustang knew what Kana was alluding to. Yet, Ed felt the breath leave his body as he walked towards her, as if getting closer would make it easier to comprehend the words that followed. 

“I was practicing alchemy; I had just finished reading ‘The Ways of the Alchemist” and had a lot of new methods to try to refine my technique.” Her head remained bowed, fingers now picking at the skin of her neck. “They found me there, said they needed help healing their little sister. They had hall the perfect pieces to save her, but they weren’t good enough at alchemy to heal her.” She picked harder as she spoke and, even as Ed’s brain screamed at him to run away, he had the strong urge to reach out to her, to remove her hand from her neck. 

“When I saw her, on the transmutation circle, I knew what they wanted and refused. I told them it was taboo, that it was impossible, that I didn’t want to.” She slowly brought her head up, eyes locking onto Ed’s. Tears, again, refused to fall from her eyes. “Please, you have to believe me, I didn’t want to do it.” Ed couldn’t bring himself to say or do anything, too afraid of where the conclusion of this story was going to bring them. Mustang, who had been listening silently, threw three photographs onto the girl’s lap. 

“Look at what you created. Look at what you did with your own hands. Look at it!” Mustang’s bellows caused her to pick up each photo, studying each one with shaking hands.

Glancing at the photos, Ed’s whole world crashed around him. It was all too familiar. His breathing picked up speed as he relived every single moment. It played off like a film in his head, the worst motion picture he had ever seen. His leg, Al disappearing, the faceless being, the nothingness, the overwhelming input of the Truth, writing in his own blood, the smell…

His head became fuzzy as he continued to disassociate from his surroundings. How could… how could she had been so stupid? How could he had been so stupid? How could he had done this to himself, to his little brother. He was supposed to protect his little brother, not condemn his soul to a damn suit of armor. He had meant well, please he really hadn’t meant any harm.

A hand on his shoulder brought his spiraling mind to an abrupt halt. He followed the hand up to Al, who glanced at him, knowingly. He was grounding his brother, sensing his overwhelming distress. Ed took a deep breath and focused his mind back to the case at hand, carefully avoiding the photos strewn on her lap.

“They told me she was still alive. They sobbed into my shirt; said only I could save her, that it was my destiny. They begged me, they gave me blessings. They promised it was doing good. I swore I saw her breathe just a little. I wanted to help, to heal her. I wanted to fix it!” Her tears could no longer be contained, pouring silently from her eyes as she spoke. “I clapped my hands together and I saw…”

Kana’s hand flew to her head as she tried to rip her hair from her skull. She banged and pulled on it, screaming in pure anguish. Her hand made her way to her throat, clawing at it as if for air. At first, they all stood, watching her mind unravel before their eyes. And then Ed remembered what she had seen, what she must have experienced, what everyone who committed the taboo experiences…

Ed moved without thinking, placing himself between Mustang and the screeching girl. He threw the photos away from them, bringing both of his hands to her own, pulling her away from her own destruction. He spoke her name to her, over and over, at first with a softness that turned to urgency as she continued to fight him. 

“It hurts, make it stop. I didn’t want to. I didn’t mean to. It showed me everything, everything, I saw it all… it was terrible! I didn’t want to do this! I saw it!” 

Mustang made a move for both of them, causing the girl to try her hardest to clamber from her bed. However, given her body’s confusion with finding a new way to balance, she fell to the ground, right onto the injured shoulder. She screamed out again. Ed made his way to her faster than anyone. Without a thought, he clapped his hands together and the ground around them created four tight walls, successfully blocking out any outsiders, both human and the sounds they would make. 

Kana was too lost in her own turmoil to notice, so Ed brought both of his hands to her face and forced her to look at him. 

“Kana! Look at me! I saw it too! I know, I saw it too!” 

He repeated this over and over as her screams turned to whimpers, until they dissolved into broken sobs. Her weight fell into his hands as she cried. 

“You… you… saw… the Truth?” she whimpered out. Ed was taken back by the tone in her voice, as if she was longing for it to be a lie, told simply to get her to calm down. Ed, for a second, believed that maybe, he hadn’t been telling the truth at all. 

Nodding slowly, Ed released Kana’s face and sank back onto his heels. He was sure she understood what it meant, to have seen it. They stayed like that for what felt like eternity, neither courageous enough to speak. Finally, she breathed out. 

“I guess our destinies are bound now,” she whispered it out, more to herself than to Ed. She locked onto his eyes once again, “Edward Elric… I am in your debt for saving my life. So, to repay you, I pledge to you now, that I will get your body back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys it is almost 3 am and I don't want to stop writing. I'm so damn invested


	3. Primary Laws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed tries to convince Kana to do anything but follow him.

Ed’s eyes widened at her words. Why? Why was this stranger throwing herself to the wolves for him? Minutes ago, she was angry at him for saving her life and now she was pledging that life to him? It didn’t make any sense, she didn’t even know his reasons for committing the taboo. She was watching him, expectantly awaiting an acknowledgement of the deal she had just made. He shook his head at her. 

“Worry about yourself. Learn from your mistakes, start a new, and forget about what you just said.” He avoided her eyes now, not brave enough to see what emotions lay in them now. “I’ll get Mustang to let you off easily and then, once Winry fits you for a prosthetic, you go home.” He made to remove their wall, but Kana grabbed one of his hands, with a strength he wasn’t expecting. 

“Ed, what’s the primary law of alchemy?” Ed raised an eyebrow at him, unaware to how that pertained to anything that they were discussing in that moment. He answered anyways. 

“Equivalent exchange.”

She smiled. It was small, but it was honest and dazzlingly bright. Ed felt his heart involuntarily swell at the sight, his face heating up when he realized his reaction was so grand for such a small gesture. Kana nodded at him, tilting her head to the side. 

“Exactly. You saved my life, the equivalent exchange, in this manner, would be for me to return yours to you.” She released Ed’s hand, signaling that it was okay to take the wall down. He didn’t though, he watched her, searching for the words to make her see. 

“My brother and I, we are involved in dangerous things. You don’t want to be intertwined with us. Take my advice and start anew.” In a mere second, Kana brought her body close to Ed’s, who had pressed his own against the makeshift wall. She placed her forehead against his, staring intently before speaking. 

“I don’t have a home to return to Ed. I don’t have anywhere to turn back to, I don’t have people waiting for me. This,” she pointed between them, “this is what I’m here for. This is why I saw the truth, this is my new purpose. Danger or not, you won’t be able to get rid of me.” Kana moved away, satisfied with her explanation. Ed had no choice but to release the walls back to the ground, bringing the rest of the room into focus. Kana tried to stand, to face the colonel, but she was not used to the difference in her body still. Reluctantly, Ed placed her good arm around his shoulder and allowed her to put her weight onto him. Truly, he didn’t want to be close to her anymore. He wanted to run away while she was recovering, so she would give up this crazy notion of equivalent exchange. 

He hadn’t saved her life for her to just throw it away on his own sinful journey for redemption.

Mustang approached the pair, face stern, but the anger had dissipated. Recognition had replaced it, recognition of a naïve girl trying to do good, tricked into committing sin. Ed had seen the look before, when he had offered the idea of him becoming a State Alchemist. 

“I feel there is more to the story then you have told,” Kana’s hand unknowingly flexed, causing Ed to bring his attention back to her face. She was still scared, he could see it, plain on day on her face. “But, after discussing it with Alphonse and Hughes we have come to a conclusion.” Upon hearing his brother’s name, Ed turned to him, searching the emotionless armor for a sign of what was to come. Knowing Al, he had calmed Mustang to a less severe punishment. 

Kana pulled her hand away from Ed’s shoulder, shakily standing on her own two feet. She walked, as strong as she could, towards Mustang. Slowly, she bowed to him. Ed outstretched his hand as she wobbled to the side, balance refusing to cooperate. She leaned into his hand to support herself as best she could. 

“I will accept whatever punishment you have decided for me, sir.” Mustang’s hardened face flickered for a moment, caught off guard with such a display of loyalty and humbleness. He cleared his throat and continued. 

“You will undergo the surgery Miss Winry has presented to you. You will undergo alchemy training under one of a similar skill set, and you will check in regularly with me. I am placing you under my supervision, meaning you are now my responsibility.” Kana swallowed, barely breathing as she listened to Mustang’s decrees. None of it was a problem, it wasn’t even a punishment, just a path to follow. She clearly didn’t understand, she didn’t believe she deserved it, Ed knew that. 

“So, I’m to remain in your custody?” She asked it quietly, Ed aware of the gears in her mind turning. If she had to stay in Central, she’d be no use to him. 

“I will be your acting superior. But I’m entrusting your care to your teacher.” Mustang turned to Ed, a devilish grin on his face. Ed’s eyes widened opening his mouth to argue. Mustang, however, turned around and faced the rest of the room. “No one is to breathe a word of this to anyone outside of these four walls. The less people that know of Kana, the better.” The room nodded, Hughes standing at attention. The two officers made their way out the door, Mustang pausing for a moment to turn back to Kana. 

“What’s your full name, Kana?” He asked her and Ed did not miss the sharp intake of breath at the question.

“Why is it important, sir?” She replied, head slightly lowered, but eyes locking with his. He smirked. 

“For my personal records,” he responded simply, awaiting an answer. Breathing deeply, Kana puffed up slightly, as if trying to find pride in the name she was about to give. 

“My name is Kana Sai, orphaned at 10, living in Central for the past 5 years. Anything else, sir?” There was a bit of bite to her words, as if challenging the Colonel to dive deeper. He didn’t though. He simply nodded at her and made his way out the door.

Leaving the teenagers to their own accord. Kana hobbled over to her bed, collapsing back into the pillows. Her eyes remained closed as she spoke.

“Miss, is it possible to perform the surgery here, in Central? I know you said the recovery is long, but I need to start now.”

Winry looked to the brothers, contemplating all of the intricate pieces of the surgical procedure. She bit her lip in thought, mumbling words no one could comprehend. Then, she looked up suddenly. 

“I can do it today. The recovery is usually three years, but some cases,” she glanced towards Ed, “take less time. And, if we do it today, by the end of the week you’ll regain basic movement.”

Eyes still closed, Kana let out a long sigh. Ed took her silence as a chance to convince her differently. 

“Kana, the surgery is painful, the recovery just as much so. You can’t push yourself just to follow us. You can permanently damage the nerves so that not even automail can connect to it.” His voice was stern, similar to the voice he used when Al tried to copy him as kids.   
To put it plainly, Kana completely ignored him, causing Ed to swear under his breath as she turned to Winry with a smile. 

“Let’s get to it then.”  
…

Ed paced outside the door, absentmindedly muttering under his breath. Al sat on the bed, watching. It had been three hours since they had started and it should be finishing soon.

“Brother, Winry is skilled. Look what she’s done with you! Kana will be fine.” Ed glanced at his brother, knowing that what he said was true. However, it wasn’t his faith in Winry that was making his stomach turn over into a knotted mess. His logical mind knew that she would come through the painful process. 

A screech erupted from behind the door, causing Ed to bite his lip aggressively. That’s what it was, that’s what was putting him completely on edge. The automail surgery had to be done with the recipient awake. It was the only way to ensure all of the nerves had attached correctly. It was painful, so damn painful. It also caused a sensory overload that rivaled that of seeing the Truth. Numbing solutions and pain medication was given, but it never even scratched the surface, Ed remembered it as if it had been just a day ago. 

Ed sat next to his brother on the bed and put his face in his hands. Her swearing could be heard again, cursing at a god he didn’t believe in. He doubted she did either, given her training in alchemy. She had to have been skilled, human transmutation was some few could even attempt. She had been mildly successful, just like they had. 

Damnit, he thought. He had met her yesterday, only yesterday. And yet she was consuming his every thought. He worried for her, he tried to convince her to keep her distance, but yet she was pressing into him. She only had just met him as well, why did she have such unwavering trust. 

Trust like that will get you in trouble.

“Did you listen to me scream like that?” Ed muttered out, face still in his palms. He heard Al shift. 

“Yes, brother. It was… terrible to hear you in so much pain. It tore me apart. I wanted to take it away for you,” a metal hand was placed on his back and Ed realized how comforting the coldness of the steel felt against him. “But I knew that you wanted to do this more than anything. That you were doing this for me. And you were so strong! I couldn’t stand in the way of the path you had chosen.” 

Ed smiled at his brother’s words. Sometimes, it was hard to believe that Alphonse was the younger of them. Not because he was disgustingly tall and charismatic. No, it was because he spoke as if he had lived 3,000 lives and remembered every single one. True, the two of them had experienced enough trauma to last a lifetime, sure to age the soul a bit, but Ed was still an angry, loudmouthed kid. Al was different. And he was so grateful to have him around. 

Maybe… just maybe… he could be that person to Kana.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOHOOO Your girl is a writing machine right now. I've never felt so inspired. Kudos/comments appreciated


	4. The Manipulation of Electricity

Kana chased after Elicia with a vigor Ed hadn’t seen from her before. She had only had use of her arm for a week, recovering in the Hughes house rather than the hospital. It had done a world of difference, in Ed’s opinion. She had grown livelier every day, smiling wider and talking more freely. 

The pain, however, was still very apparent. She did exercises and maintenance with Winry every day. She had tried, multiple times, to spar Al and Ed, which ended with screams from the two of them as well as Winry. Kana appeared to be determined to speed up the process faster than even Ed had dared to. If it wasn’t for the watchful eye, of literally everyone involved, she sure would have been attempting alchemy and combat. 

Elicia’s laugh pulled Ed from his thoughts. He smiled at the sight in front of him. Kana’s golden hair fell loosely on her shoulders as she tickled the small child, who screamed for mercy. Kana released her, plopping her onto the floor in one fluid motion. 

“It’s time for bed Ellie! Hurry, before Mom gets you.” Kana winked at her before patting her head affectionately. Elicia relished in the attention, giggling as her hair was ruffled under Kana’s metal hand. She took off down the hall towards her bedroom, but not before screaming “night sissy!” 

Kana smiled after her, absentmindedly tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Now, Ed could see the entirety of her jade green eyes. A stark contrast from when he saw them in the hospital, they had a light to them, almost a gleam. He found himself staring at her being, eyes taking in every part. The tiny birth mark at the bottom of her ear, the freckles painted across her nose, the scars on her body. 

“Edward?” Her voice was concerned, head cocked to the side with worry. He felt chills erupt down his spine at the sound of his full name coming from her. It was then that Ed realized he had been staring at her for longer than was considered societally normal for a teacher and his apprentice. He shot up from his seat, shaking his head and sputtering nonsense. 

“Uh, sorry, I was just thinking about… where Al and I are going, yeah, yeah that’s it! I need to get the train tickets and, oh where’s my watch…” A hand to his shoulder stopped his sputtering. She was close now, just a foot away from him. He felt a blush creep on his cheeks, and he begged the heat to leave. 

A sharp flick to his forehead quickly killed the racing thoughts of his mind. He shook his head, blinking at Kana, who was poised, as if ready for another flick. “The hell was that for?” She laughed at him. 

“You didn’t include me in your plans! You know I’m coming to!” Ed opened his mouth to argue when Winry popped her head out. 

“Oh! Where are you heading?” Ed groaned out loud, annoyed that now two females were interrogating him. 

“Dublith! And NEITHER of you are going,” he glared at them.

“Right before Dublith is Rush Valley though! The Holy Land of Automail! Ed, please!” Winry pouted and batted her eyelashes as Kana laughed. 

“Sounds like a group adventure to me!” Kana chimed in, relishing in the vein popping out of Ed’s temple. He shook his head angrily at them both.

“I repeat, neither of you are going,” he whirled around, pointing at Kana, “especially you! It’s been only a week since you got outfitted with that arm. You’re too vulnerable, a liability.” Her gaze darkened at the word. Ed quickly realized he had hit a nerve. “Wait, that came out wrong,” she pushed between the two of them, throwing open the front door, not even grabbing a jacket for the cold, windy night. Ed called her name, but she never turned around. An angry sigh escaped his mouth as he called for his brother to come out into the living room. Winry placed a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t need to tell me I messed up, I’m keenly aware.”  
“She’s stronger with others around her. We don’t know anything about her past, but she muttered a lot things while in her hazy, drug induced surgery state,” she stared at the door, where Kana had just been, “I think she’s face horrors that are equal to the two of you.” Winry squeezed his shoulder before stepping back. “You are a connection she thought she would never find. Someone who could actually understand her pain. Cut her some slack.” Al entered the room as Ed felt Winry’s word sink in. Kana wasn’t glorifying him or the danger he and his brother face. She was holding onto a lifeline she had never had before. With a signal for his brother to follow, Ed grabbed his red jacket and headed out the door.   
…  
Kana scuffed her boots against the cobblestones of the darkened streets, angrily kicking tiny pebbles. The wind cut through her thin shirt, but she ignored it, anger keeping her warm and moving. 

You’ll always be a liability. Save her and prove yourself useful for once in your pathetic life.

Kana shook her head aggressively, willing the voice and memory to disappear back into the box she had locked it away in. She wasn’t sure why the fact that Ed had said it made it sting a bit more. She barely knew him, yet her mind, no her soul, kept pushing her to him. 

A clink of metal behind her caused her to whip around, immediately relaxing when she realized it was Alphonse. For a bodiless soul, he sure had a warmth around him that made Kana want to hug him tight, protect him from harm. She waved lazily at him. 

“Hey Alphonse, what are you doing out here?” Al fell in step with her, Kana taking comfort on no longer being alone with her thoughts. 

“Brother and I came to find you shortly after you left.” Kana visibly bristled at the mention of Ed and Al noticed. “Brother doesn’t use his brain before he speaks most of the time. He’s hot tempered and easily flustered,” Al looked up at the night sky and Kana found herself wondering what it was like to be unable to eat, to sleep, to cry, to feel. His sight was one of the only things he was allowed to keep. Al nudged her slightly. 

“However, brother cares for people fiercely, even more than he cares about himself. He only wants to keep everyone safe. It’s hard for him to allow another to be in danger. He shoulders all the blame for whatever the consequence may be.”  
Kana looked down at the ground, guilt creeping across her being. She had messed up. She was hot tempered herself and she allowed her emotions to give her an excuse to lash out. She sighed deeply. 

“Ed wasn’t at fault for any of this. He hit a nerve for sure, but I overreacted. I’m not angry at him. I’m angry at myself. I just feel, so damn useless.” She hung her head, the admission not making her feel any lighter. Suddenly, an arm was slung over her shoulder and she jumped at the cool touch of metal. 

Ed stood had sneaked up on her, grinning obnoxiously wide and she immediately knew he had heard everything. 

“So glad to hear you’re not mad at me. It would be a long train ride to Dublith if you were. Winry would of course take your side as well.” He laughed while Kana just stared at him in awe. 

“Wait… you mean, you’ll let me come?” She felt her hopes rising and prayed that this was not some sick joke Ed had made up to entertain himself. He squeezed her shoulder before removing his arm. 

“I wouldn’t be much of an alchemy teacher if I just left my student, plus,” he shot a knowing look at her, “I can keep an eye on you this way. Keep you out of trouble.” Kana laughed; he knew her pretty well already. Al nudged her slightly and she realized she had never felt such admiration for two people before. 

“Let’s get out of this wind, since someone forgot her coat.” She opened her mouth to retort, but paused, her hairs standing on end. She hadn’t felt that in a while. 

“Kana?” Ed said, concern laced in his voice, as he reached his hand out to her. 

Her body reacted before anyone could blink, her whole being alive with electricity. She shoved Ed to the side, rolling him away just as the figure flew through hand outstretched, alchemic reaction crackling around him. Al screamed for them, but there was no time to respond as the yellow jacket clad man lunged for the two of them again. Ed had recovered quickly, clapping his hands together and sending the ground up around them, creating a barrier between the attacker and the three of them. 

“Who the hell is that?” Kana shouted, taking off at a sprint behind the two brothers. She heard the collapsing of the wall behind her and stole a glance. The man was racing towards them with incredible speed. 

“Scar. He’s attacking State Alchemists, I’ve run into him before. This isn’t good.” From the strain in his voice, Kana guessed that the last time the brothers had seen this Scar person, they hadn’t been on the winning side. 

Her hair stood on end again, alchemic reaction causing her to feel the static in the air. She knew he was coming before she saw him, thanks to her connection to the electricity in the air. Smirking slightly, she side-stepped, gaining goosebumps from the wind of his attack. Kana couldn’t technically fight yet, but she could evade. 

“Kana!” She heard the brothers shout simultaneously, but she tuned them all out. It was just her and Scar. He lunged for her again, hands crackling, face contorted in anger. 

“You interfered; therefore, you will be eliminated young one.” He growled out as Kana ducked and slid out of his grasp. She had always been the best at avoiding attacks. She was small and agile, flexible too, it gave her options others didn’t usually have. She bent under his arms, keeping close enough to him that he couldn’t sneak up on her. Kana kept her hands behind her back, forcing her to rely on other pieces. 

Kana heard Ed frustratingly trying to find an opening, but she knew she was too close to Scar for him to attack. He would for sure hit her with whatever attack he sent. She didn’t have the luxury to run away, knowing that as soon as she turned her back to him, she would be dead. Kana was almost enjoying the fight though, until he found her weak point. 

It started with a trip, over a broken cobblestone. The toe of her boot caught and threw off her balance, tipping her away from her aggressor. He was fast, faster than Ed and Al who tried to reach her. He snaked his hand across her chest, quickly overpowering her small frame with just one muscled arm. She squirmed and kicked, even as her stump protested. The automail was pulling on the connected nerves, not enjoying the increased pressure it was under. The attacker spun her around and that was when she saw their faces. 

Ed was seething, hands primed and ready for attack. She could feel the malice radiating off of both of the brothers, charging the air around them. She found comfort in it, smiling small at them, ignoring the pinch of the metal on her skin and the crackling alchemy near her neck. If this was the end, she was happy to be here, with them. She ignored everything Scar was rattling on about, closing her eyes, ready…

“Don’t you dare give up now!”

Kana’s eyes shot open at his voice. In it, suffering and pain screamed out at her in agony. When her gaze landed on him, she saw his face matched it, contorted in anguish. She couldn’t leave him, not like this, not after he had risked his own life for her. She smiled.

“I’ll take that as permission.”

She raised her hands out, sensing the pull of electrons towards her, as if she was a magnet. She felt the atoms shake ferociously around her, gaining positive charge as she manipulated them. She zeroed in on the flow of the electrons, allowing herself to be the conductor. It filled her up, gathering intensely where her automail met her shoulder and she bit back a scream. Her ears were ringing and she was sure she felt a trickle of blood fall from them. Just a little longer. Scar, visibly stunned, realized he was missing his chance. Raising his hand to her, Kana knew she could no longer wait. She clapped her hands together. 

The electricity erupted between them, separating them with a shock. Scar shot backwards and Kana forwards. She cursed her lack of control from being out of practice as she flew towards the two brothers, unable to summon anything to protect her fall. She closed her eyes, ready for the crushing impact. 

However, it never came. Instead, she felt soft arms envelop her entire body. Kana wanted to warn the person, knowing her body was positively charge right now and sure to give quite a…

“Fuck!” A voice cried out upon contact with her body. She knew that the shock, while less harsh now that it was traveling between two conductors, would still sting. Her head was pressed into a chest softly, but the roar of blood in her ears made it impossible to make out what they were saying. The two of them thudded to the ground, the person keeping their arms tight around her, hand pressed protectively behind her head, as if to shield her from any harm. 

She was woozy and her stub was burning with pain as she blinked back the stars in her eyes. Kana felt herself be placed gingerly on the ground and she fully opened her eyes, revealing two blurry figures. They slowly came into focus, Ed and Al, and she could tell they were speaking to her. She shook her head, attempting to clear the harsh ringing. 

“…ana! Kana! Can you hear me?” Ed was shouting and Kana could make out a commotion occurring behind them. She nodded weakly, too dazed to push herself up, let alone speak. Ed sat back on his heels, sighing in relief. “We have to move you out of here, Mustang and his soldiers are here. Can you…” 

He was cut off by a blast. He threw himself on top of her, cupping his arms around her head. She squeezed him as the ground shook around them. Kana knew she should have pushed him off, her body still alive with electricity, but she couldn’t bring herself to. 

He pushed off her after a moment of eerie quiet and Kana saw how he winced when he moved his automail. Her eyes grew wide, realization hitting her like the lightning rod that she was. She stood up, ignoring the protests of her body and teacher alike. She placed one hand on Ed’s metal arm, another on his metal leg, and pulled up. Outwardly, she knew she looked crazy, grasping at invisible matter, but she knew what she was doing. She pulled on the flow circulating throughout the metal and forced it outward, back into the air where she had taken it from in the first place. She sighed contently as the last trace of electricity left his automail. Her head spun slightly; it took all she had to focus on the two in front of her. 

Al reached his hand out to her, assumingly to help her up, move her away. Kana shot away from him, startling the two boys. 

“I’m… too charged… I don’t want to… effect the blood seal.” She panted out, pushing herself to rest on her knees. Ed held up his hand in front of Al, finding some sense in Kana’s explanation. “I just need a minute, then I can remove it.” Ed placed his flesh hand on her shoulder, not even flinching at the spark her body gave him. 

“Take your time, Scar disappeared into the sewers. You’re safe now.” She smiled weakly at him, head still buzzing. Focusing her senses on the electricity buzzing inside her, she clapped her hands together, immediately feeling the relief as the electricity left her body. She pushed it out, dispersing it into the air. She breathed in deeply, relieved to not have the buzzing in her body anymore.

“Kana, what is your type of alchemy?” Al’s voice wasn’t fearful or angry, much to her surprise. She shifted uncomfortably anyways. 

“I never told you guys, did I? I deal with electric alchemy. I manipulate electrons in the air and use my body as a conductor to move it.” She avoided eye contact, knowing that her alchemy was both rare and carried negative connotations. 

“Does it hurt?” Al asked and her heart almost broke at the sadness in his voice, as if her hurting was the worst thing about it. She shook her head again. 

“No, well I mean, at first, I had no control, so it hurt a lot. As I gained control, I learned how to keep the electricity just on the surface layer of my body, guarding all my major organs and my brain.” She tapped her head for effect and smiled but faltered quickly when she saw the widened eyes of the brothers. Ed grabbed her automail arm, hands ghosting up to where skin met metal. Kana followed with her eyes, letting out a horrified gasp at the blistering skin of her stump. She tried to laugh, to feign a carefree nature. “Yeah, I was worried about how the automail would react to my alchemy.” 

“Holy hell Kana, we got to get you to a medic,” Ed exclaimed, standing up and ordering Al to find Mustang. His brother took off and Ed turned his attention to Kana. Her head was swimming, adrenaline wearing off and leaving her exhausted. She focused on the hand Ed had offered her and allowed him to pull her up. 

She regretted it immediately, vision dotting black, legs giving way from underneath her. She found herself falling forward into Ed, who caught her small figure. Placing an arm behind her neck and another behind her knees, he lifted her up. Kana wanted to protest, proclaim that she could walk on her own, when he spoke. 

“Rest easy now Kana, I got you.” Her head lolled to the side, pressing into his chest. She drank in his scent. It was sweet and comforting, but also held a bit of power. It was coffee, mixed with a summer sun. She felt herself slipping into sleep, happily content in Ed’s safe arms. 

“You did good today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think of her alchemy and my description of it? It was definitely a challenge for me.

**Author's Note:**

> WHAT DO WE THINK!? I'm feeling over here... and next chapter is pouring out faster than I can type. Wow... I feel good. Comment below thoughts and all that good stuff!


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